The Paleolithic diet refers to the types of foods our ancestors consumed during the Paleolithic, or early part of the Stone Age, period in history, before agriculture and the domestication of animals for food took hold. Living as hunter-gatherers, humans ate mainly wild game, fish, fruits, berries, vegetables and some nuts and honey, rarely or never consuming many foods that are part of our modern diet, and which may contribute to diseases such as heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, according to Linda A. Frassetto and colleagues at the Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, in California in a study published in 2009 in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition See Reference 1). Below is a list of foods to avoid when following a paleolithic diet:
Grains
All cereal grains, including rice, corn, wheat, oats and barley, should be avoided or at least very rarely consumed, especially refined carbohydrates, such as white rice or flour. Cereal grains became dietary staples with the advent of agriculture, and now provide 40 to 90 percent of our energy requirements, while fruits and vegetables were one of the main energy sources for Stone Age humans eating a Paleolithic diet, according to Dr. Stanley Boyd Eaton and Stanley Boyd Eaton III in a study published in March 2000 in the "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition."
Dairy
Any type of dairy should be avoided, including cow's or goat's milk and cheeses. Dairy products from animal sources were not consumed in the Paleolithic diet, and instead, plant foods were the key sources of calcium, while increased physical activity also helped maintain bone health and prevent bone fractures, according to the study published in 2000 in the "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition."
Legumes
The main source of protein was wild animals, game meats typically leaner than their domesticated animal counterparts, fish, and a moderate intake of nuts rather than beans, or legumes, including peanuts, according to researcher M. Osterdahl and colleagues at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden in a study published in May 2008 in the "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition."
Added Salt and Sugar
There was no added salt or added sugar in the Paleolithic diet. Stone Agers consumed honey when available, and consumed low amounts of sodium--about 768 mg per day compared with modern Americans who consume about 4,000 mg of sodium per day, according to Dr. Eaton and colleague in their 2000 study in the "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition."
Processed Foods
Foods in their most natural state are consumed in the Paleolithic diet, meaning no processed, packaged, or refined foods, including processed oils and trans fats such as those found in margarine, or processed meats such as sausage or hot dogs, are consumed in the Paleo diet, according to a review by Dr. James H. O'Keefe Jr. and and colleague at the Mid America Heart Institute, Cardiovascular Consultants, in Kansas City, Missouri, published in the the journal "Mayo Clinic Proceedings" in January 2004. The review also noted that water rather than sodas or fruit juices were the main beverage consumed by Stone Agers.
References
- PubMed: Metabolic and Physiologic Improvements from Consuming a Paleolithic, Hunter-Gatherer Type Diet
- SpringerLink: Paleolithic vs. Modern Diets -- Selected Pathophysiological Implications
- PubMed: Effects of a Short-Term Intervention with a Paleolithic Diet in Healthy Volunteers
- Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Cardiovascular Disease Resulting From a Diet and Lifestyle at Odds With Our Paleolithic Genome
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